Prosecutors: ‘Law & Order’ Star Swindled by Accountant

By

Chris Herring

Dec 23, 2010 5:31 pm ET

A New York City man who did accounting work for entertainers was accused of swindling a “Law & Order” actress out of more than $1 million.

The man, 50-year-old Joseph Cilibrasi of Manhattan, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court, where nine charges were levied against him and his company, Cilibrasi & Associates. Cilibrasi, who faces up to 25 years in prison on the top charge, was held on $100,000 bond or cash.

The indictment stemmed from what prosecutors described as a years-long fraud in which Cilibrasi took advantage having access to his clients’ accounts. The majority of the indictment focuses on Cilibrasi’s dealings with Tamara Tunie, an actress in “Law & Order: SVU” who hired the man as her business manager in the early 1990s.

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